


those blazing red eyes

by kaminarikyouka



Series: Exos Heroes One-Shots [3]
Category: Exos Heroes (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Suicide, Minor Character Death, Shufraken's A+ Parenting, based on a post in reddit, but it gets happy at the end, it's really sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:53:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26406799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaminarikyouka/pseuds/kaminarikyouka
Summary: One step.Another step.Another step closer to the edge of the cliff.He couldn't wait.
Relationships: Ramge (Exos Heroes) & Rachel (Exos Heroes), Ramge (Exos Heroes) & Sia (Exos Heroes), Ramge (Exos Heroes) & Valentina (Exos Heroes)
Series: Exos Heroes One-Shots [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1910824
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	those blazing red eyes

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is based on awakening ramge's character lore, as well as the awakening core raid backstory. enjoy!

Ramge tried to wipe the tears that were flowing down his eyes. Leaving behind Rachel, his only friend, the only one he felt he could trust all his worries to. He left him, along with the promise that they made, that could've stayed unbroken for a lifetime.

Rachel promised to be near him, yet he was the one who left him. What kind of friend is he?

He tried to quell those thoughts. He told himself, that he did those things, so their family could be happy again, together. After all, blood is thicker than water, and family is more important than a friend. 

_**Isn't Rachel part of your family?** _

Stop it.

♪♪

Upon arriving at the castle, he always noticed the dreary atmosphere that surrounded it. This is normal, in this kingdom. The King was an ambitious man, who only wanted the best for his family, his kingdom.

That's what he always thought.

 _Father probably got the necklace by now..._ He thought. _I should probably wait inside._

He walked up the stairs and immediately went to his bedroom, not expecting someone inside.

As soon as he opened the door, he was surprised to see a mysterious woman standing near the window. He squinted his eyes, and then he realized she wasn't a stranger, she was his sister, Valentina.

_I wonder what she's doing here..._

"Val...?" He called hesitantly, fearing what her reaction would be. Yet, she didn't move, nor respond to his calls. Instead, she continued staring out the window, as if expecting something.

He walked to a window beside the one she's staring out of and saw nothing. What was his sister staring at?

He placed a hand on one of her shoulders. "Val, where are you loo—" A hand muffled his mouth. He looked at the owner of the hand, and saw Valentina, finally looking at him, with her blazing red eyes shining brightly amidst the dark surroundings. She placed a finger to her mouth as if telling him to shut up.

She directed her attention back to the window, and finally, he saw what she's looking at.

Their father, walking back to the castle.

He sighed in relief. It was just their father.

Without warning, Valentina gripped his arm tightly and started dragging him to a corner in his bedroom.

"Val? W-What are you doing?!" He yelped, as he could feel his sister's nails digging in his arm. 

Valentina glared at him and said nothing. Once arriving at a corner in his bedroom, she immediately began looking for something. _What is she doing?_

She used her hands to feel every single brick in that corner until she finally found it. She clicked it, and bricks started to recede, revealing an iron door. Valentina used a key to open it up, and it revealed a passageway.

"Okay, listen up. Go inside. You should end up in a forest far from here. Sia is waiting. Go." She ordered him and started to push him inside the passageway.

Questions started swirling inside his head. _What is she doing? What is happening?_ He tried to voice out these questions. But he didn't get an answer.

He had enough. "Val! What is happening? Why are you doing this!" He demanded. He doesn't like to shout, especially towards his sister, but he needs to know what made her like that.

She smiled at him. "Your life will be in danger. I need you to escape." She explained.

He doesn't understand. "Wh-What are you talking about? Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?" He was confused. She wasn't like this.

She gritted her teeth and grabbed his shoulders tightly. "You know what? I hate you." His eyes widened. "I've always hated you since you were born. You always got more attention from Mother. You were her precious child, as she always gives you adoration I could never have. I hate it when you tried to cling to me. I hate it when you whine and ask for something. I hate it, that I have to do this, for you to be safe."

She looked at him with tears falling from her eyes. "I had to put up a picture of being a perfect daughter to everyone because I'm always jealous of the things you got, that I never did. I always frame you for the bad things I did, so everyone would think that you are irresponsible and selfish. I compressed your magic so that you would appear weak to everyone.

"I thought... I was happy. To see that I would finally get the attention I've always wanted. But seeing you get hurt, because of my selfish desires, is something I can't grow up with. 

"I just realized, that I love it when you're around. I love it when your smiles light up the room. I love it when your laughs and giggles made my heart flutter." She pressed her forehead against his, barely realizing that tears started to flow down his cheeks as well. "I love you so much, brother."

Despite the atmosphere, Ramge tried to ease up, as he didn't like seeing his sister crying. "Why are you phrasing it like you're saying goodbye?" He laughed.

Silence reigned after that sentence, with Ramge's laugh slowly dying as he took in all that his sister said. 

Valentina pressed a finger at his forehead and activated her magic, muttering some words that he didn't understand. She pushed him inside and quickly shut the door, leaving Ramge alone inside the passageway.

He called for his sister. "Val! Val! Open this door! Val!"

"Escape, Ramge." She hissed at the door. "Get stronger, for me." Then he could hear bricks closing in on the door, with the final slab locking into place, keeping him hidden from the monster that resides in the palace.

He followed his sister's orders and immediately ran out the other side of the passageway, and he doesn't stop until he reaches a forest that was almost near Brunn, and far enough from the palace.

He panted and placed his hands on his knees. "Sia!" He called out. Val said she would be here. "Sia!"

"Ramge!" A small, delicate voice called him. He looked at the source, and saw Sia, gesturing him to come inside the cave. He ran to her.

"Sia! You're okay!" He smiled and sat next to her inside the cave, placing her on his lap.

_Valentina said she'll follow soon, right? Then I should wait for her._

♪♪

Hours passed by, and still, no sign of Valentina. He grew more anxious, even Sia could do nothing to soothe his worries.

But all of these worries amplified when an explosion sounded from inside the castle.

 _Val!_ He thought, as he immediately ran out of the cave. Sia called for him. "Ramge, no! Valentina told us to stay here and wait for her!"

"But something bad could happen to her if I just continue to wait here!" He reasoned. Then he continued to run towards the castle, which now has smoke rising, directly where his bedroom was located.

He pushed past the confused villagers, past the panicking guards, and into the floor where his bedroom was. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open.

He felt his knees wobble, as it hit the floor. Tears started flowing down his cheeks. He couldn't even make a single sound in shock.

In this dreary atmosphere that the castle bears, the blazing red eyes her sister always wore, was now dimmed and void of life. Instead of her blazing red eyes illuminating the dark surroundings of his bedroom, all he could see was the blood that flowed, that came from the numerous swords which pierced her body.

Red. Red. Red. His sister's eyes are red.

Red. Red. Red. Blood is red.

He slowly approached his sister, hesitantly touching her hand. It was slightly sticky because of the blood, and cold, possibly colder than the snow itself. He stayed motionless.

He stared at his sister's dead body, whose eyes are looking directly at him as if staring straight into his soul. Yet, her hands stayed cold.

He didn't know how long had he kept holding Valentina's hand until guards entered the room with fear evident in their voices. "Your highness?" They nervously addressed him.

He slowly looked back at them, with no emotions upon his face. He didn't know what to feel.

Should he be happy, since Valentina was the reason why he experienced such shit?

Or should he be sad, since Valentina was the reason he always kept going in life?

Whatever the answer was, it wasn't any of those two, as he caught sight of a lone black feather, directly next to his sister's body, as if mocking him. Now he knew, he knew what he should feel.

Anger.

♪♪

"Ramge, stop. You're getting tired." Sia scolded him. Yet, he didn't listen.

He kept practicing and practicing, always using his (now unleashed, thanks to Val) magic. He kept pushing himself to his limits. He doesn't eat, nor does he sleep. If he does, it's only for a while, as he continued to practice and practice.

He didn't know how to manage his power at first, since no one was there to teach him anymore, and with his Father's disappearance and sister's death, he was crowned king instantly. The pressure was always felt every step he took.

But the kingdom was proud of him, stepping up to the throne. He received praises, similar to how they praise Valentina before: that he was powerful, he was smart, he knows how to lead perfectly, just like his _father_.

Gritting his teeth at the thought, he accidentally sent more magic than he should've, and his hands hurt.

He winced and fell on his butt. Sia immediately ran over to him. "I told you to stop! What happened?"

He stared at his hand, cuts littering all over the place. Blood flowed slowly from an open cut near his palm, and he closed in on himself, hating the pain, and the memories brought along with blood.

_Get stronger, for me._

He opened his eyes. No, this was not the time to be weak. He had a job to do, and he was going to do it right.

Sia looked at him in confusion when he slowly stood up again and powering his magic. "Are you just gonna keep practicing? Your hands are hurt!" 

"I'm sorry, Sia. But I can't stop." He smiled at him and continued to power up his magic, even though his hands are shaking, even though the cuts in his hands got larger, and more blood started flowing.

Sia could only shake her head.

Months passed by, and Ramge finally became a better person of himself. He can now speak without stuttering, he wasn't shy anymore, and to top it all off, he is now powerful.

Yet, he still hid behind the comfort of his palace. Even though he finally opened the North von Frosty to other kingdoms, and had a peace treaty with Brunn, he still stayed closed off to others, never showing his face.

He didn't talk to anyone, even Sia.

♪♪

Sia is dead.

He thought as he stared at the statue of Sia, made in honor of her. She was the one there for him when times were down, even though he always ignores her these days. He didn't even know if they spent time together on her last day, all he remembered, was practice after practice.

 _It's okay,_ he thought as he lightly touched Sia's statue. _It'll all pay off soon._

He walked back inside the comfort of his palace, head down so that no one would see his tears.

♪♪

 _It's funny how those two thought they could survive a monster._ He bitterly thought as he stared at the receding backs of the strangers who asked him about 'how he became strong'.

He followed behind them, quietly, and waited until they left.

And as soon as they did, he slowly walked inside the monster's territory. There he saw, the monster that destroyed what little life he had in him.

He stared at the monster, who had once been his own _father_ , and his eyes lost his sparkle. Instead, it was replaced by the feeling of anger, of despair, and of all the emotions he had kept bottled inside him.

He walked closer to the weakened monster and pointed a hand at it. Instantly, it glowed. 

The monster noticed an intense magical power near its head and looked up. It gritted its teeth. "Worm, how dare you to trespass into my territory, and try to attack me! I'll kill you!" It growled.

"No," Ramge leaned closer to the monster. "I'll kill _you_." He coldly whispered and blasted his head using his magic.

In a second, the monster's head exploded. The blood and brains (if he even had one) inside it spread throughout the area, some of it even splattering onto his own clothes.

He felt nothing. Victory, maybe? But the only good thing that came out of this, is the moment of peace he felt for a while.

"It's all over."

♪♪

He pulled the hood of his cloak over his head and kept himself hidden in the shadows.

It's happening all over again. Their king is missing. The guards panicked, not knowing that their missing king is just above a cliff, nearby the palace.

It was the same cliff where he found Sia, his best friend.

He began smiling as he starts to reminisce every moment he had with the people he considered family.

Shufraken, his father, once brought him books. He always read it, even after the death of his sister.

His mother gave him kisses before he goes to sleep. He found himself missing them every night.

Valentina always read him stories, from the books their father got them. He now had to deal with sleeping at night without the comforting voice of his sister.

Rachel loves to give him advice, hugs, even comforted him in the weirdest way possible: fighting. Rachel once told him that fighting is one of the best ways to belt out the emotions he hid, so he always practiced.

Sia also gives him comfort, by giving him short talks and laughs with him. He found himself feeling lonely as he stared at the space beside him.

He shook his head and smiled. The wind blew his hood off, revealing his soft black and white hair. (It was once fully black, but as he started to lose the things he held dear, it slowly turned into white. Was this what happened to his father?) He ruffled his hair and stared at the orange sky.

"Hey, Val," he softly murmured. "It's all done now."

One step.

Another step.

Another step closer to the edge of the cliff.

He couldn't wait.

"... Ramge?" 

Hearing his name, he stops in his steps and slowly turned to look behind him. His eyes widened as he felt a hand pull his arm gently, back to the safety of the ground, and hugged him tightly. "I missed you." The man muttered. "Don't leave my side again."

He felt tears cascade down his blazing red eyes, the same shade his sister once had. He hugged the man back tightly.

"I won't leave you anymore." Ramge softly said.

That was their promise.

"I'll follow you wherever you go, Rachel."

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is also inspired by this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ExosHeroes/comments/iq3jzs/a_review_of_the_backstory_brought_by_the_new_fc/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) from reddit
> 
> talk to me on my [twitter](https://www.twitter.com/kaminariii1)


End file.
